Fire-escape



FIRE ESCAPE.

(No Model.) 0

Patented Oct. 9,1883;

IN ENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITE STATES PATENT Fries.

- JOHN ZEBR, OF KEOKUK, IOW'A.

H E-EscAPE.

$PEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,519, dated October9, 1883.

Application filed March 17, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ZERR, of Keokuk, in the county of Lee and Stateof Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and eiract description.

This invention relates to that class of fireescapes in whichscaling-ladders are secured to the building, and belts are raised bymeans of ropes passingover pulleys at the upper ends of theuppermostladders, by which the rope or belt or basket can be secured forlowering persons.

The invention consists of a ladder constructed with a foot-piece andwith a cross-bar connected with the ladder by a chain, which crossbar isplaced against the inside of a windowcasing for the purpose of holdingthe ladder vertically in the window-opening. After a series of ladderssuch as described above have been raised successively at opposite endsof the building, ropes are passed over pulleys held on the uppermost endof the ladder, and hooks at the ends of the ropes are united, and thenby pulling one rope more or less the hooks are brought to any desiredwindow of the building, and the persons can be secured by means of abelt raised by the said ropes and hooked into the hooks at the ends ofthe ropes, which belt is passed around the person to be rescued, uponwhich the person is lowered by means of the above-described ropes.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.-

Figure l is a front elevation of a building on which my improvedfire-escape is erected and in use. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of myimproved scaling-ladder. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional elevation of thesame, showing it secured in a window. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on lineas so of Fig. 2.

The ladder A is provided with a foot-plate, B, which is provided at eachend with a downwardly-projecting lug, G, on the outer surface of theladder, so that when the foot-plate is placed on a window-sill, as shownin Fig. 3, the lug G will rest against the outer surface of thewindowsill. A chain, E, is secured to one of the middle rungs oftheladder and to a crossbar, F, through which a hook, a, passes,

A which has a screw-threaded shank, on which a winged nut, b, isscrewed, which is on that surface of the cross-bar F opposite the one atwhich the hook a is. The cross-bar F is provided at the ends with hooksG, which are to catch on the moldings of the window-frame. The ladder Ais provided on its innersurface with a cross-bar, H, which is providedat the middle with a loop, J, which is crossed by a latch, K, pivoted onthe inner surface of the said cross-bar. A pulley, L, is provided withan elongated ring or link, M, adapted to be passed on the upper end ofthe side bars of the ladder, which side bars are provided at the upperends with inwardly-projecting studs (1, to prevent the said link fromsliding down. Over the said pulley a rope, N, is passed, which isprovided at one end with a hook, O.

The device is used as follows: A ladder is placed against the buildingand two firemen ascend to the second floor. Then another ladder ishanded up, the foot-piece B of which is placed upon the window-sill. Thewindow is opened or broken. One man enters the room and places the bar Fagainst the opening of the window, on the inside of the casing, so thatthe ends of the bar will rest against the inner win- (low-casing. Alinkof the chain E ishooked into the hook at and the chain is drawn taut byturn ing the winged nut b. The ladder is thus held in a verticalposition, cannot fall, and is per i'eotly safe. Thefiremen then ascendthe ladder raised in front of the window of the sec ond story, and passthe link M over the end of one of the side bars of the ladder. A hook,O, at the end-of the rope N is passed through the ring or loop D on thefoot-piece B of another ladder, and the rope is passed through the loopJ in the cross-bar H and the latch K is closed. The ladder will thus beheld in a vertical position and suspended from the end of the rope. Menstanding on the ground pull on the free end of the rope, and therebyraise the ladders to the desired height. When the ladder reaches thepulley L, the rope forces down the latch K, thus releasing the upper endof the ladder from the rope. One of the men on the upper end of theladder on which the pulley L is held then adjusts the ladder which hasjust been raised in the proper position in front of a window, and theother man fastens it in the manner previously described.

I the ends of a burning building, as shown, and

after the ladders have been raised the hooks O at the ends of the ropesN are united, and then by pulling more or less on one rope or the otherthe hooks O can be guided to any de sired window in the front of thehouse A lifesaving belt, P, can be secured to any of the ropes and canbe raised to any window.

A person to be rescued can secure the beltaround the body, and then caneasily be lowered by means of the ropes. Guy-ropesR are secured to thelower ends of the ropes N or to the hooks O, for the purpose of drawingthe persons being saved from the building while descending, so that theycannot be injured by striking against cornices or projecting parts, andwill not be endangered by fire breaking throughthe windows. The hooks Gon the ends of the crossbar F catch on the molding of the innerwindow-frame and assist in holding the bar F in place and preventing itfrom slipping.

'If the firemen are experienced, the ladders canbe raised in a veryshort time, and if the ladders are once raised the hooks O can bebrought to any window instantly.

The device is very simple, as the ropes for raisingthe ladders are usedfor rescuing the people.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent l. A ladder having the foot-piece B, with ringD, and the cross-piece H. in combination with the chain E, permanentbrace F, pulleys L, and-ropes N R, as shown and described.

-2. 'The combination, withthe ladder A, having the footfi-piece B, ofthe ring D, the crosspiece H, having a loop, J, and the latch K,substantially as herein shown and described,

and for the purpose set forth.

' described, and for the purpose set forth.

Q JOHN ZERH.

Vitnesscs:

J. A. M. OoLLINs, J osnrn ZERR.

